SEATTLE (Recycling Monster): The Hermiston City Council is scheduled to revisit its curbside recycling implementation strategy during its upcoming meeting, addressing questions raised in the last council session and reviewing a newly proposed reduced-rate option for low-income households.

Hermiston plans to launch its curbside recycling program next year to comply with Oregon’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act of 2021, which mandates curbside recycling services for all cities with populations over 4,000.

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While portions of the statewide initiative will be supported by manufacturer funding, the city will be responsible for operational expenses including staffing collection trucks, fuel, vehicle maintenance, storage, insurance, and billing administration. As a result, establishing a local service rate is necessary for program rollout.

City staff previously recommended a standard fee of $8 per month for the new service. In response to council feedback, a discounted low-income rate of $6.80 per month has now been proposed.

The curbside recycling system is expected to launch sometime in 2026 and will utilize a single co-mingled cart for plastics, metals, cardboard, and paper.